Eyeglass frame with bimetallic strip means to automatically adjust fit on wearer



Nov. 15, 1966. I E. s. WIESZECK 3,285,688

EYEGLASS FRAME WITH BIMETALLIC STRIP MEANS TO AUTOMATICALLY ADJUST FIT ON WEARER 5 SheetsSheet 1 Filed Dec. 22, 1961 FlG 2 FIG.3 F'lG.4

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EYEGLASS FRAME WITH BIMETALLIC STRIP MEANS T0 AUTOMATICALLY ADJUST FIT 0N WEARER Filed Dec. 22, 1961 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG.9

Nov. 15, 1966 E. s. WIESZECK 3,285,688

EYEGLASS FRAME WITH BIMETALLIC STRIP MEANS TO AUTOMATICALLY ADJUST FIT 0N WEARER Filed Dec. 22, 1961 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR W J71 BY DnwsauJTL oufia LON UNGM'UJ ATTOR N 5Y5 United States Patent 3,285,688 EYEGLASS FRAME WITH BIMETALLIC STRIP MEANS TO AUTOMATICALLY ADJUST FIT ON WEARER Emil S. Wieszeck, Box 175, Salem, N.H. Filed Dec. 22, 1961, Ser. No. 161,688 6 Claims. (Cl. 351-41) This invention relates to eyeglasses, and, more particularly, to an eyeglass frame construction and use thereof which is capable of undergoing dimensional changes in response to fluctuating temperatures in order to promote correct adjustment and proper engagement of frame components with various supporting surfaces on the head of the wearer.

In the conventional type of eyeglass construction, it is customary to provide a lens-retaining frame having a pair of spaced lens retainers which are connected together by a central bridge or nose piece and which, in most cases, are further provided at inner sides thereof with depending nose pads which engage on opposite sides of the nose when in use. At the outer sections of the lens-retaining frame are pivotally secured a pair of bows or temples, which are designed to extend rearwardly to provide curved ends adapted to engage over the back surfaces of the ears and/ or head in a position to resiliently maintain the nose pads against the nose.

Difiiculty is often experienced in maintaining the nose pads in a satisfactorily adjusted position on the nose and also in keeping the curved ends of the bows in suitably curled relationship to furnish a continuously satisfactory holding effect. This condition tends to become aggravated with temperature changes, particularly those which cause excessive perspiration at the face and ears of the wearer. In warm weather especially, the human body ordinarily perspires and a wearer finds that his eyeglass frame tends to slide down the surface of the nose and requires constant repositioning. In the case of persons with particularly oily skins and fatty face tissue, this tendency may be even more prevalent.

It is a principal object of the invention to deal with the problem of maladjustment and sliding engagement of the eyeglass frame with the nose and other supporting surfaces of the head resulting from changes in temperature and excessive perspiration.

More specifically, it is an object of the invention to devise an eyeglass frame having temperature-sensing means for automatically causing a change in the manner of support or arrangement of the eyeglass frame on the head of a wearer. Still another object of the invention is to provide a thermally-responsive eyeglass frame, component parts of which may change in response to rise and fall in temperature so as to provide changes in geometric configuration of the various components to so cooperate as to automatically and continuously adjust the eyeglass frame to a more suitable wearing position.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the details of construction and operation set down in the following description of a preferred embodiment of the invention selected for purposes of illustration and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the eyeglass frame of the invention constructed with thermally-responsive components;

FIG. 2 is a cross section taken on the line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross section taken on the line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a cross section taken on the line 4-4 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating a special form of nose pad which may vary in shape in accordance with temperature changes;

FIG. 6 is a cross section taken on the line 6-6 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a cross section taken on the line 77 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 8 is a cross section taken on the line 8-8 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view illustrating another form of eyeglass frame construction having a bimetallic connector element; FIG. 10 is a cross section taken on the line 10-10 of FIG. 9; FIG. 11 is a side elevational view of a modified form of eyeglass frame; FIG. 12 is a cross section taken on the line 12-12 of FIG. 11;

FIG. 13 is a fragmentary plan view of a modified frame construction for controlling the extent of pivoting of the frame temples; FIG. 14 is a cross. section taken on the line 14-14 of FIG. 13;

FIG. 15 is a side elevational view of another form of eyeglass frame construction of the invention; FIG. 15A is a fragmentary sectional view of a modified form of frame employing the structure of FIG. 15; FIG. 16 is a cross section taken on the line 16-16 of FIG. 15;

FIG. 17 is still another side elevational view of a modified form of eyeglass frame; FIG. 18 is a cross section taken on the line 18-18 of FIG. 17; FIG. 19 is a cross section taken on the line 19-19 of FIG. 17; and

FIG. 20 is a perspective view of a modified form of the invention, while FIG. 21 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view, partially broken away, of the hearing aid portion of FIG. 20.

Referring more in detail to the drawings, FIG. 1 illustrates an eyeglass frame which includes a pair of lenses 2 and 4 secured in lens-retaining members 6 and 8, in turn connected together by a nosepiece or bridge 10. At either side of the frame are pivotally attached temples or bows 12 and 14 which extend rearwardly and are curled at their ends to provide ear-engaging loops 16 and 18. In accordance with one simplified form of the invention, I provide thermally-responsive means constructed as a part of the temple extremities to provide for a decrease in radius of the curled ends with an increase in temperature.

I may, for example, accomplish this by forming each of the ear-engaging loops 16 and 18 from a polymetallic material or composite metal consisting of two (bimetallic) or more strips of metal of different expansion characteristics. One of these polymetallic members is shown in greater detail in FIG. 4 and may consist of strips 18a and 18b whose expansion and contraction characteristics are sufficiently different to provide a desired amount of change of curl in response to a change of temperature of from cool room temperature to high summer heat temperatures.

In arranging the polymetallic components of a temple member in relation to one another, I may locate the components one upon another or one beside the other. In the first case, shorter radius curl is obtained without other change, whereas in the second case, an inward bending against adjacent surfaces of the head may be realized. In some cases, increasing the curling effect may be more advantageous in providing a satisfactory gripping effect, while in other cases, both increased curl and lateral clamping action may be preferred. In temple construction of some types, curled ends are not used and the temple extremities are formed with flattened tips which are forced inwardly against adjacent surfaces of the head. I may, therefore, prefer to provide inward bending of the tips as well as a curling of the loop.

The arrangement in FIGS. 1 and 4 is, however, intended to be illustrative of either one of these assemblies, that is, with polymetallic components which may lie side by side or one upon the other. I may also desire to utilize separated sections of polymetal temple material each having a different rate of curl per degree of temperature change to achieve desired curling characteristics and which'I have shown in FIG. 1 as temple sections T, T1, T2, etc.

In another desirable form of the invention, I may desire to utilize the polymetallic temple construction for increasing the pressure of the temple members at their respective points of contact with adjacent temple surfaces of the head. This has been illustrated in FIG. 1 by front sections of the members 12 and 14. Polymetallic components are shown in FIG. 3 wherein the components 14a and 141) are arranged side by side. In this type of arrange ment, the front sections of members 12 and 14, in response to a rise in temperature, are designed to curl inwardly with increasing pressure against the temple areas of the head to thus clinch these temple members in a more secure position.

In certain instances, it is advantageous to construct the eyeglass frame with nose pad members 22 and 24. As seen in FIG. 5, the member 22 is shown in curled and flattened positions 22b and 22a, respectively. In this arrangement, a rise in temperature acting through the polymetallic pads operates to increase the area of contact by forcing the engaging surface part of the nose pad to move from a curved position into a flattened position. The increased contact area then resists displacement more effectively.

I may also support the nose pads 22 and 24 on special polymetallic brackets 26 and 28, one of which is shown in detail in FIG. 6 as being made up of a polymetallic component 26a and another component 2612. By constructing the bracket portions 26 and 28 in a reversely curved manner, as shown in FIG. 5, a rise in temperature causes the bracket portions to straighten out and thus force the pads against adjacent surfaces of the nose with increasing pressure in an amount suflicient to overcome sliding and falling away during heated or hot weather conditions. The movement of the pads toward one another also tends to move the frame into a slightly raised position compensating for loss of firmness of flesh with increased temperature.

I may also realize a somewhat similar holding effect by constructing the bridge or nose piece of polymetallic strips 10a and 10b. By suitably arranging these thermallyresponsive metallic components, temperature increase may be employed to bend the bridge inwardly a slight amount, which will in turn force the nose pads toward one another against the nose surface with increasing pressure.

In still another type of nose bridge arrangement, as shown in FIG. 9, I may join together a pair of lenses 30 and 32 by means of an arcuate bior polymetallic bridge 34 where the bior polymetallic components are arranged one upon the other. These components are noted as 34a and 34b in FIG. 10. A rise in temperature contracts the bridge 34.

Another embodiment of the invention is shown in FIG. 13, consisting of a bior polymetallic hinge 36 attached to the eyeglass frame in such a way that the hior polymetallic hinge components 36a and 36b allow holding the temple members for storing the glasses and opening to a predetermined angle which ordinarily decreases with the increase of temperature.

Similarly, -I may desire to employ bior polymetallic members in various other ways as shown in FIGS. 11 and 12. In FIG. 11, I have indicated a twisted temple bar 4t) of bior polymetallic material which is attached to its hinge end to draw the lenses closer and upwardly as this temple bar 40 twists, bearing on the flesh slightly and turning on its pivot.

In still another arrangement, I may utilize a corrugated reversely folded temple member 46, as shown in FIG. 15. This member is formed of bior polymetallic material and the corrugations are adapted to expand or contract along a horizontal axis to move an eyeglass frame towards or away from the face. The bior polymetallic components 46a and 46b are shown in FIG. 16.

In FIG. 15A, there is a showing much like that in FIG. 15 except that half of each loop is a bimetal whose laminants are discontinuous and arranged to meet as by soldering with the butt end of the opposite laminan-t. The core 460 has brass 46d laminated on one side and a low coeflicient of expansion alloy 462 sold under the trademark Invar laminated on the other side.

I may still further desire to provide a bior polymetallic member having a plurality of engaging surfaces as shown in FIG. 17, including a bior polymetallic ear loop 50 and a bimetallic contact piece 52 having respective bior polymetallic components 50a, 50b and 52a, 52b. This arrangement is desired to give a dual gripping effect on each side of the head.

From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that one or more portions of a spectacle frame can be advantageously constructed of the so-called bimetallic or polymetallic elements. These elements, such as brass-Invar, have dif ferential responses to thermal changes, useful in the range of extreme freezing through humanly bearable heat.

Optimally, these improvements in spectacle frame con struction are incorporated at the time of fitting by the optometrist, optician, etc., with the metal or metals having least reflectivity facing or oriented toward the wearer. For example, where a bimetallic construction is made using brass and Invar, I position the Invar next to the wearers flesh. The outer portion of the construction, i.e., the brass, is highly polished, while the Invar is made more responsive as by blackening so as to approach maximum heat absorption. From this, it can be seen that persons having fat necks and particularly oily skins where lack of firmness of flesh exists, a temple member incorporating a bimetallic strip serves to increase the pressure of the temple arm on the wearers head so as to maintain the spectacle lens in correct position relative to the eye. For persons having heads shaped like an oblate spheroid, the installation may be more diflicult so as to necessitate additional bior polymetallic action at the terminal end of the ear loop.

A variety of advantageous modifications can be made in the use of the thermally-responsive polymetallic material in the spectacle frames. In addition to varying the position within the frame of the responsive material, the materials can be arranged in opposition or conjunction to magnify or otherwise modify the thermal response.

The variation shown in FIG. 15A can be transferred to the ear loops, if desired, so as to have the polymetallic sections extend end-to-end and in side-by-side relation to give a desired cumulative motion to the innermost loop.

Still further, for spectacle wearers having bulbous noses, the dispensing optician may concentrate primarily on adjusting the nose pads and supporting structure and incorporating therein the suitable thermally-responsive metallic element.

The advantages of the invention can also be achieved in the instance where the spectacle frame serves as a holder for a hearing aid, and this is illustrated on the 'third page of the drawing, Which includes FIGS. 20 and 21. In particular, the inventive arrangement is effective with the bone conduction type of hearing aid. This is illustrated semi-schematically in FIG. 21, where the numeral 53 designates generally the transmitter, the numeral 54 the amplifier, and the numeral 55 the receiver. The transmitter 53 and amplifier 54 are suitably connected by means of wires 56, and, in similar fashion, the wires 57 interconnect the amplifier 54 and bone conduction receiver 55. The construction of FIG. 21 is embodied as at 58 provided as part of the spectacle frame 59.

Still referring to FIG. 20, the forward portion of one or both temple bars 60 carries a miniaturized hearing aid transmitter that is effective to pick up sound. The transmitter (53 in FIG. 21) converts the sound to appropriate electrical impulses that are fed to the amplifier 54, where they are increased in strength sufficiently to operate the bone conduction receiver 55. The receiver 55 is positioned against a desired bone in the skull.

The use of a polymetallic temple bar permits the use of the electrical conducting properties between sections of the hearing aid as desired, eliminating at least one wire between the amplifier and bone conduction receiver (i.e., the wires 57). By attaching the bone conduction receiver to the loop end of the polymetallic loop, and having that loop twisted or so fixed that its extremity near the ear lobe is at some angle approximating a right angle, the bone conduction receiver is urged toward the head rather than being subject to sliding away as uncomfortably high temperatures are reached.

While in the foregoing specification a detailed description of the invention has been set down for the purpose of illustration thereof, many variations in the details herein given may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. An eye glass frame which automatically adjusts the fit on the wearer to compensate for changing temperature, comprising:

(a) a front support piece containing two spaced and planar disposed lens retaining members;

(b) a central nose piece rigidly connected to the inner adjacent portion of each of said lens retaining members;

(c) a lens in each of said lens retaining members;

(d) a temple bar and ear engaging member which is hingedly connected to the outer disposed portion of each of said lens retaining members;

(c) said temple bar and ear engaging member extending rearwardly and generally perpendicular to the planar disposed lens retaining members;

(f) a length of said temple bar and ear engaging member being a bimetallic strip means for automatically bending said temple bar and ear engaging member to more firmly grip the wearer when temperature rises said bimetallic strip means consisting of an elongated section of two thin laminated strips of different metals having different coefficients of thermal expansion.

2. An eye glass frame as set forth in claiml, wherein:

(a) said bimetallic strip means is disposed in the central section of said temple bar and ear engaging member with the plane of contact of said thin strips being disposed parallel to the side of the head of the wearer.

3. An eye glass frame as set forth in claim 1, wherein:

(a) said nose piece comprises a bimetallic strip whereby temperature rise deflects the nose piece to bring the lens retaining members closer together.

4. An eye glass frame as set forth in claim 1, wherein:

(a) a curved bimetallic nose pad bracket is mounted on each lens retaining member below said nose piece;

(b) a nose pad mounted on the free end of said brackets so that when temperature rises said nose pads will be moved inwardly toward each other.

5. An eye glass frame as set forth in claim 1, wherein:

(a) said bimetallic strip means is disposed in the curved ear engaging section of said temple bar and ear engaging member with the plane of contact of said thin strips being disposed perpendicular to the side of the head of the wearer.

6. An eye glass frame as set forth in claim 1, wherein:

(a) said-bimetallic metal strip means is twisted and is disposed in the central section of said temple bar and ear engaging member.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 401,682 4/1889 Brust 3511,58 X 411,689 9/1889 Smith et a1. 351158 X 2,189,459 2/ 1940 Derby. 2,377,222 5/1945 Fruth 351152 X 2,930,857 3/1960 Hollingworth 351-158 X 4 DAVID H. RUBIN, Primary Examiner.

E. G. ANDERSON, Examiner. l lORN, Assistant Examiner. 

1. AN EYE GLASS FRAME WHICH AUTOMATICALLY ADJUSTS THE FIT ON THE WEARER TO COMPENSATE FOR CHANGING TEMPERATURE, COMPRISING: (A) A FRONT SUPPORT PIECE CONTAINING TWO SPACED AND PLANAR DISPOSED LENS RETAINING MEMBERS; (B) A CENTRAL NOSE PIECE RIGIDLY CONNECTED TO THE INNER ADJACENT PORTION OF EACH OF SAID LENS RETAINING MEMBERS; (C) A LENS IN EACH OF SAID LENS RETAINING MEMBERS; (D) A TEMPLE BAR AND EAR ENGAGING MEMBER WHICH IS HINGEDLY CONNECTED TO THE OUTER DISPOSED PORTION OF EACH OF SAID LENS RETAINING MEMBERS; (E) SAID TEMPLE BAR AND EAR ENGAGING MEMBER EXTENDING REARWARDLY AND GENERALLY PERPENDICULAR TO THE PLANAR DISPOSED LENS RETAINING MEMBERS; 